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Wednesday, April 26, 2023

60 Years of X - 1970

Year 8: 1970
1970 X-Men Comics & Appearances: X-Men #66-68, X-Men Annual #1, Amazing Spider-Man #92

The X-Men have their series cancelled, then revived a few months later as a reprint title! An amazing friendship starts! And that's about it!

043 - Year 8 Cover: X-Men #66


Pickings are pretty slim this year, obviously. This gets the nod simply for being seared into my brain as "the last issue of the original #XMen run". And for suggesting Beast & Angel have a snowball's chance against Hulk. 

044 - Year 8 Creator: Gil Kane


Smack in the middle of his Amazing Spider-Man run, Kane gives the Spider-Man/Iceman confrontation his signature style, featuring off-kilter figures and unique panel angels. 

045 - Year 8 Character: Iceman


As the first member of the X-Men to appear anywhere after the series' cancellation, Iceman's appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #92 makes him the standout character simply for showing up.

046 - Year 8 Comic: Amazing Spider-Man #92


I highly doubt anyone had this comic in mind when the show was being conceived, but I do like that the first post-cancellation appearance of any of the X-Men is a meeting between two future Amazing Friends.
 
047 - Year 8 Fun Fact: Reprint Reprieve


While the Thomas/Adams sales boost didn't occur quickly enough to stop cancellation, Roy Thomas believes the bump may've convinced Martin Goodman to revive the series, which at least kept the characters around.

 048 - Year 8 Memorable Moment: The End!



With neither a bang nor a whimper, really, the X-Men slink off into comic limbo upon the conclusion of X-Men #66, a rare miss from the red hot Silver Age Marvel bullpen. 

So would it seem, at least...

5 comments:

  1. Not much to say about this time period. I don't think anyone is ever going to label those 3 issues of X-Men as "Classic" and it's telling that the only story worth mentioning was in another comic altogether.

    It's almost hard to believe that there was a time when X-Men was considered a third-tier book. Especially with how big it got later. It just goes to show that sometimes there is a seed of greatness in a weak title. It just takes the right approach to turn it around. Something I wish Publishers still remembered.

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    1. // I don't think anyone is ever going to label those 3 issues of X-Men as “Classic” //

      While I take your point, nevertheless, they are reprinted in a book literally titled Essential Classic X-Men Vol. 3… 8^)

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  2. I realize that it ends with Stan’s conspiratorial “as if you didn’t know” but it’s still crazy that a caption explaining to readers who the X-Men were was even deemed necessary and that it was most likely a good call.

    Fun fact: Per both the GCD and Mike’s Amazing World, Amazing Spider-Man #92 hit the racks the day before the day I was born.

    I find unintentionally evocative typos absolutely delightful; “panel angels” is one of the best ever.

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  3. "And for suggesting Beast & Angel have a snowball's chance against Hulk."

    Hey now, if Ka-Zar and Squirrel Girl can punch out Thanos, anything is possible!

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